Beijing Forbidden City Ticket: Direct Entry & Meridian Gate Access

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Free cancellationTravelers' pickLikely to sell out

1/26

Duration2h–4h

GroupUp to 10

PickupAt your hotel

Walk straight in: Beijing's Forbidden City without the square

You book with your passport details, receive confirmation six days before, and enter directly at Meridian Gate without crossing Tiananmen Square. The ticket grants access to all 980 buildings, the Imperial Garden, and the main halls—Hall of Supreme Harmony, Hall of Preserving Harmony, and the residential Inner Court. Plan for moderate walking and bring your passport on the day of entry.

2h–4h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Beijing Forbidden City

Arrive at Donghuamen exit
Walk 8 minutes to Meridian Gate
Show passport at Meridian Gate
Enter Forbidden City through security
Visit Hall of Supreme Harmony
Explore Hall of Preserving Harmony
See Gate of Heavenly Purity
View bridal and worship chambers
Relax in Imperial Garden

The Experience

Most visitors assume they have to cross Tiananmen Square to reach the Forbidden City. They don't. With this ticket, you show your passport at Meridian Gate—the sole official entry point—and walk directly into 600 years of imperial architecture. No separate Tiananmen reservation needed, no detour through the crowds. You arrive at Donghuamen (the east gate), walk the moat for about eight minutes, and you're at security. The whole approach changes how the day feels.

The Forbidden City itself is 980 buildings arranged across the Outer Court and Inner Court, separated by the Gate of Heavenly Purity. You move through the Hall of Supreme Harmony—the grandest wooden structure in China—then the Hall of Preserving Harmony, past the residential chambers where emperors and empresses lived, and finally into the Imperial Garden behind the Hall of Earthly Tranquility. The scale is disorienting at first; the detail is what keeps you there. Passport name and number are required at booking for all participants, and you'll need to bring that same passport on the day you visit for direct entry at the gate.

Timing matters. Peak season runs April through October (Tuesday to Sunday), with last entry at 4pm. Summer vacation in July and August opens Monday through Sunday, still closing entry at 4pm. November through March (slow season, also Tuesday to Sunday) closes entry at 3:30pm. The confirmation arrives six days before your visit, so book early enough to plan around those windows. Chinese nationals, including visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, need to book at least seven days ahead—the system won't accept bookings made closer than that.

The walk from Donghuamen to Meridian Gate is flat and straightforward, though the site itself involves moderate walking and climbing. The reference material notes it's not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, so pace yourself and bring water. Public transport stops are nearby if you need them. Once you're through security, the day is yours to spend moving through the halls, the gardens, and the smaller chambers at whatever rhythm works.

What’s included

Admission ticket to the Forbidden City with direct entry at Meridian Gate.
Passport verification required at booking and on the day of visit.
Access to all palace halls, chambers, and the Imperial Garden.
Live guide available as an optional add-on for group tours.
Public transportation nearby.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Lily's Tour Company

Is this one for you?Right for travelers staying in Beijing who want to skip the Tiananmen Square line and enter the Forbidden City directly. Expect moderate walking across the palace grounds and plan for at least a few hours to move through the main halls and garden; the size of the site is what makes lingering over the architecture possible.